Energy chief Sontirat appeals for patience on fix to sea border dispute with Cambodia

[webfact]

Energy chief Sontirat appeals for patience on fix to sea border dispute with Cambodia

By THE NATION

 

Sontirat

 

Energy Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong has urged that people be patient as he seeks to resolve a decades-old wrangle between Thailand and Cambodia over their maritime border.

 

Sontirat said the government has been looking deeply into the issues and asked that he be given time to work on a solution before he can announce a successful conclusion to the neighbours’ dispute.

 

“I’m trying to solve this problem. Please let me work on this for the moment. My team has already gained an understanding of the matters. We now see the problems and the challenges that we face. It’s a sensitive problem. That’s all I can say for now,” he said.

 

The most important reason behind the need to renegotiate the overlapping maritime border is the increasing national petroleum reserves.

 

Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak has been involved in the process with his oversight of the Foreign Affairs and Energy ministries, which are coordinating their efforts on the negotiations plan.

 

Premrutai Vinaiphat, director-general of the Mineral Fuels Department, said a resolution to the overlapping maritime border between Thailand and Cambodia was a mission and a duty of the ministry. But the department had to wait for the minister's approval before releasing more information.

 

A source from the petroleum industry said that if the government makes a deal with Cambodia on the border, the energy costs for both countries, including for liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, will decrease. Gas can be used in many industries, the source said. These benefits would help encourage investment in the Eastern Economic Corridor and improve Thailand's performance in industrial cost-effective competition.

 

“To close the deal, the solution for both countries has to focus on benefits, not politics. The solution might come from the Joint Development Area (JDA); gas would be sent to the one country which is in need of it first” the source said.

 

If the deals are closed, the seventh gas separate plant might happen depending on the future gas reserves exploration as the gas in the Gulf of Thailand has been decreasing. However, construction costs would have to be considered.

 

The Mineral Fuels Department reported that it had submitted a plan that would see reserved areas for national security separated from JDA, which had been declared in 2011.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/business/30374512

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-08-09

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[holy cow cm]

Wonder how this will play out with China taking a port in Cambodia? If China gets concessions, what will happen? Will Thailand back down to the evil dragon?

[Phuketshrew]

Better mobilize the aircraft carrier and hurry up with those submarines ...

[JAG]

7 minutes ago, Phuketshrew said:

Better mobilize the aircraft carrier and hurry up with those submarines ...

Submarines bimbling around an area of (shallow) sea, an area with lots of drilling rigs and production platforms, doesn't really inspire!

 

Moreover, since any dispute with Cambodia is bound to involve China, they (the Chinese) will probably switch them (the submarines) off.

 

[yellowboat]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Energy Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong has urged that people be patient as he seeks to resolve a decades-old wrangle between Thailand and Cambodia over their maritime border.

"Decades", We are so close, Just wait one more decade.  How mind numbing.  Asking people to be patient when far too much time has passed already.  It must be nice to say anything you want and not get challenged.  Ah life around the trough.   

[Oziex1]

What has this got to do with him? 

[Cadbury]

4 hours ago, JAG said:

Submarines bimbling around an area of (shallow) sea, an area with lots of drilling rigs and production platforms, doesn't really inspire!

 

Moreover, since any dispute with Cambodia is bound to involve China, they (the Chinese) will probably switch them (the submarines) off.

 

Happened to the Vietnam. in 1978 Vietnam launched a full scale invasion and liberated Cambodia from Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge tyrants.

China was very upset as they were friends of Pol and supporters of his murderous regime. 

As a result in 1979 China launched a punitive attack Vietnam through the north. 

Tread carefully Thailand and have the white flag ready should the need arise. 

[Srikcir]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

gas would be sent to the one country which is in need of it first”

That's not very reasonable nor enforceable unless there's a set of rules to define "need" and "first."

Maybe some kind of pseudo free trade agreement where a mandatory binding arbitration tribunal would decide who has first priority in need. It's decision would not be subject to an nation's judicial system and any decision can only be appealed to the tribunal.

Frankly, I can't foresee any rules that would ever allow Thailand to have need of gas first.

• https://www.indexmundi.com/factbook/compare/cambodia.thailand/economy

Cambodia is mostly an emerging economy versus Thailand as a developing economy.

• https://bizfluent.com/info-10002682-difference-between-developing-countries-emerging-countries.html

The WTO recognizes as least-developed countries (LDCs) those countries which have been designated as such by the United Nations.

There are currently 49 least-developed countries on the UN list, 30 of which to date have become WTO members. Nine additional least-developed countries are in the process of accession to the WTO. They are: Bhutan; Cambodia; Cape Verde; Laos; Nepal; Samoa; Sudan; Vanuatu and Yemen.

• https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/minist_e/min01_e/brief_e/brief03_e.htm

The fairest gas distribution for Thailand would be a "parity share." By development need, Cambodia should have a majority share* for the first several years.

* Cambodia in turn will probably export its majority share to China to meet its debt obligations!